The Enemy Of My Enemy
by Marauders4EVR
Summary: Sirius Black was innocent. Unfortunately, the one person who could prove this would like nothing more than for Sirius to be locked up for the rest of his life. But when Severus Snape realizes that young Harry Potter's life may be in danger, the two have no choice but to team up as their world is flipped upside down.
1. Chapter 1

The Enemy Of My Enemy

Sirius Black was innocent. Unfortunately, the one person who could prove this would like nothing more than for Sirius to be locked up for the rest of his life. But when Severus Snape realizes that young Harry Potter's life may be in danger, the two have no choice but to team up as their world is flipped upside down.

Chapter One

His throat was raw from screaming.

Yet nobody seemed to be listening.

Sirius Black desperately paced the small cell. A mattress had been carelessly placed in one corner. A rusted toilet sat in the other. Sirius walked back and forth, shivering as the Dementors swept by. Each time they did, he shouted that he was innocent.

Nobody listened.

This routine had gone on for a week.

One week…

One week since two of his best friends had died…one week since another best friend coldly killed twelve innocent people…one week since he had watched his godson fly away with Hagrid.

It didn't feel like a week.

It felt as if he had spent a lifetime in this blasted prison.

He was starving, dehydrated, and exhausted.

He shouldn't be here.

He was innocent!

Couldn't they see? Couldn't they see that he needed to get to Harry?

And yet, it seemed that nobody did.

No matter.

If they weren't going to let him out, he'd let himself out.

This bit of determination caused the next few hours to pass by more smoothly. None of the Dementors seemed to notice that a large dog had taken the place of the frantic man in Cell 13. They floated past without a second glance.

Sirius was just able to squeeze through the bars, biting back a whine as he did so. The rust on the metal tore at his fur. Still, he was finally able to enter the corridor. One of the Dementors floated within several inches of him. Sirius froze but the Dementor carried on.

In the end, it was easier than he had anticipated.

He kept to the shadows for good measure and walked quite slowly. He made it to the door at the end of the corridor and was able to push it open. A cold blast of wind hit him in his face and he nearly yelped. He was standing on a cliffside, overlooking a choppy sea. He wasn't sure where he was but there didn't seem to be any other land.

It was quite dark. A blanket of stars overlooked the sea. Still, he was able to see several jagged rocks jutting out of the foamy tide.

He took a deep breath and jumped. The water was as cold as ice; yet somehow was still better than the Dementors' presence. For a moment, Sirius allowed the waves to carry him. He bobbed up and down, sucking in deep breaths whenever he was able to do so. He finally began to swim, kicking his four legs with all of his might.

After a quarter of an hour, he was holding back a scream. Every muscle in his body was burning and there was still no land in sight.

Just when Sirius was sure that he was going to go under for the last time, he spotted something. It seemed that a box was floating in the water.

Sirius' heart lifted and he swam over to it.

It took him a few tries but he finally managed to climb on top of it.

The box wobbled back and forth but eventually steadied.

Sirius let out a small sigh of relief before noticing that it was a rather peculiar box.

His heart sank as he realized that it wasn't a box at all.

It was a coffin.

Sirius slowly lifted his head.

There seemed to be an entire line of coffins drifting in the water, bobbing up and down with the tide.

He suddenly realized what Dementors did with the people that didn't make it.*

But he had!

The small thought was enough to make him feel a glimmer of optimism.

He had made it.

The first person to ever escape from Azkaban!

Haha, if only James could see him…

And just like that, the optimism was gone.

'Stop that,' Sirius thought, 'You need to carry on.'

James and Lily were gone.

But their son wasn't.

Their son needed him.

He needed their son.

Sirius carefully sat down. The coffin wobbled but didn't tip.

He honestly had no idea where Harry was.

Dumbledore would know.

Then again, the students at Hogwarts might not take kindly to an escaped convict strolling through the corridors, on his way to the Headmaster's Office.

Remus would know.

And Remus might believe him.

Might.

The thought was like a wretched hiss.

What if he didn't?

Sirius suddenly realized that it didn't matter.

The moon was full.

No, he couldn't go to Remus.

For a number of reasons.

Then who could he go to?

Marlene was dead.

Alice and Frank wouldn't recognize him.

Moody would kill him on the spot.

He went through the list of remaining Order members and became quite discouraged. It would take a lot to try and convince them of his innocence.

An idea occurred to him. A horrible idea.

'No,' Sirius thought, 'Not him.'

But there was nobody left.

As much as he hated it, Sirius had begrudgingly thought of a destination.

After an hour of floating along, Sirius finally spotted land. He leapt from the coffin and swam over. He violently panted as he heaved himself up onto the bridge. His legs fell out from beneath him and he let out a soft whimper. The wind tugged at his wet fur and he shivered.

His entire body seemed to rise and fall as he tried to catch his breath.

After several minutes, he lifted his head and glanced around at the brick buildings. He was in a quaint little city.

Sirius staggered to his feet—all four of them—and glanced at the shop signs.

Ah, so he was in Norwich.

He let out a small sigh. It would take him three days to walk to his destination.

Sirius glanced around before limping into a back alley. He hid behind the rubbish bins and quickly changed form. His body—his actual body—seized with pain.

But there was no time to check on his wellbeing.

He took a deep breath and twisted on the spot.

He felt as though the world was closing in on him. Walls were pressing on him from every angle. A weight was crushing his chest. He really hated Apparating.

He landed on his back in another alleyway, though this one was grimier.

Sirius quickly jerked and transformed back into a dog.

The stars were dimmer now.

Nevertheless, he used them as a guide to his destination.

oOo

_**Daily Prophet: Special Edition**_

_**November 7**__**th**_

_**Sirius Black Is The First Convict To Escape From Azkaban Prison**_

Severus Snape wasn't the least bit surprised as he read the headline.

It was almost midnight, yet he couldn't sleep.

He had just prepared himself some tea when the special edition of the newspaper had whizzed through his mail slot.

He now carried the paper over to the chair in the corner of his den. He sat down and brought the mug of tea to his lips as he calmly read the first part of the article:

_Three hours ago, Dementors from Azkaban Prison have reported that Sirius Black III has managed to escape. Black is considered to be armed and dangerous. The Ministry for Magic is conducting a full search throughout the U.K._

_When asked for a statement, the Minister replied that she was stunned…simply stunned._

Severus snorted and muttered, "Clearly, she doesn't know Black."

The only thing that surprised him was that it had taken Black an entire week to escape.

He jumped as a strange noise filled the room.

Something was scratching at his door.

Severus' wand was out in an instant.

He apprehensively crossed the den.

Even before he turned the doorknob and whisked the door open, he knew what he was going to find on the other side. Sure enough, a large dog was sitting on his doorstep. Its black fur was sopping wet.

"You're a bloody fool," Severus softly said.

The dog pushed past him and, surprisingly, Severus let him. His wand tingled in his hand, as though begging him to curse the mangy mutt. It took all of his willpower to refuse, even more so when he blinked and saw that a man was standing in the middle of his den.

"'lo, Snivellus."

Sirius Black looked horrible.

His skin was pale and gaunt, his eyes were sunken, and he looked as though he had lost a good deal of weight in a short period of time. His hair was wet and tangled, akin to the dog's fur.

He looked exhausted.

And there was something else…

The spark that had always been in Black's eye was gone. The mischievous smirk that had always been plastered on his face was replaced by a worried frown.

It was a pitying sight.

Nevertheless, Severus felt a small tinge of glee as he held his wand to Black's throat.

"Don't kill me," Black croaked.

He had lifted his hands into the air.

"Please," Black whispered, "Hear me out. Will you hear me out!?"

Black uttered the last part with such desperation that Severus couldn't help but to be a bit shocked.

He regained his composure and hissed, "Give me one reason why I should listen to you."

Black stared at him for a moment, looking defeated.

Then:

"Harry."

Whatever Severus had been expecting…that wasn't it.

What did the boy have to do with this?

Hadn't he caused enough damage?

"I need to see him," Black croaked, "I need to be with him. He…he's my godson, after all. I shouldn't have given him to Hagrid. I…I was in shock."

He looked down and mumbled, "Still am."

Severus stared at him in awe before whispering, "You just broke out of a maximum security prison and sent the entire wizarding world into a frenzy…so that you could be with your godson?"

Black nodded and Severus burst out, "Are you out of your mind?"

Black flinched.

Severus realized that he was still holding his wand to Black's throat. Several sparks had shot out of the end, burning Black's skin.

He didn't bother lowering it.

Instead, he hissed, "Do you really think that the Ministry is going to hand a baby over to an escaped murderer?"

"I'm innocent," Black hastily said, "Please, you have to believe me."

"I have to?" Severus repeated.

"Use your Occlumency powers," Black begged, "Use your Veritaserum. I…I'll do anything. Please."

Severus couldn't believe it.

Sirius Black was begging.

Begging like a dog.

Severus slowly lowered his wand and softly said, "As it so happens…I do believe you."

Black's eyes widened and he whispered, "W…what?"

"I know that you're innocent," Severus admitted.

The fact that somebody would think that Black would betray James and Lily was absurd.

And then there was the fact that…

"I saw Pettigrew at a meeting once," Severus quietly said, "He was hidden behind his mask but there was no mistaking him."

Black stood in stunned silence for a minute or two.

Then, he angrily said, "And you were just going to let me rot in Azkaban?"

"As a matter of fact," Severus coldly said, "I sent a letter to Dumbledore informing him that you might be innocent."

Black's hardened features softened and something changed in his eyes.

He was barely audible as he asked, "You…you wanted to get me out?"

Sirius Black was actually showing a glimpse of gratitude.

The world had come to an end after all.

"Don't be ridiculous," Severus snapped, "I didn't care about you. But I was going to sit by as that treacherous rat escaped."

Black relaxed and cheekily said, "Ah, good. For a moment I thought that I was going to have to apologize."

Severus felt a surge of anger.

He lifted his wand again and growled, "Why start now?"

"Get that out of my face," Black quietly said.

"It's not in your face," Severus taunted, "It's in my hand."

"Get what's in your hand out of my face!" Black exclaimed.

The two glared at each other for quite some time. Nevertheless, Severus couldn't help but to notice that a small spark was in Black's eye. Could it be that he was actually enjoying this?

Then again, Severus thought, there was actually a part of him that was enjoying this as well. In a strange way, he felt a sense of normalcy wash over him as he sneered at the Marauder.

He could tell that Black was feeling the same thing.

The feeling quickly passed and Black gravely said, "Where's Harry?"

"Lily's sister's," Severus quietly said.

"No!" Sirius gasped, "Not Petunia."

Severus nodded.

He had also felt disgusted upon hearing the boy's fate.

"But she hates magic!" Black burst out, "So does her husband!"

His voice had escalated.

"He…he can't stay there," Black cried, "I need to get him out."

"Good luck with that," Severus wryly said, "Dumbledore was quite insistent."

Black blinked before saying, "Well, I'm his godfather. I should be the one to decide where my godson lives. What did Dumbledore say about your letter anyway?"

"He hasn't replied."

Severus had to admit that the lack of a reply was rather concerning. Granted, Albus Dumbledore was a very busy man. But certainly, he could have found the time to respond to a letter about an innocent man being imprisoned?

"I have to see him," Black cried.

"It's midnight," Severus pointed out.

"Perfect," Black earnestly said, "We'll be able to easily sneak in."

"We?" Severus repeated.

Black blanched and mumbled, "I just thought…"

"You thought that we could work together?" Severus whispered, stunned.

Black didn't answer but his face said it all.

"I suppose that the rumors are true," Severus mused, "People really do go mad within a few days at Azkaban."

Black hesitated and continued, "I know that we have our differences—"

"We hate each other."

"—but we have one thing in common," Black continued, "Harry."

"That's enough for me to not kill you," Severus snapped, "It's not enough for me to erase seven years of memories."

"I'm not saying that we should become mates," Black retorted, "Blimey, I shudder at the very thought."

Severus sighed and a ghost of a smirk passed Black's face.

He continued, "But if we want to protect Harry…we need to work together."

"Who says that I want to protect him?" Severus coldly asked.

"He's Lily's son," Black promptly replied.

How _dare _he?

"He's Potter's son," Severus spat.

"He's also Lily's son," Black patiently said, "The last thing left of her."

"You manipulative bastard," Severus growled.

He had to hand it to Black.

He knew just what to say.

Besides, he had already told Dumbledore that he would look after the boy. Not that Black knew this, of course. Severus briefly cursed the fact that both Dumbledore and Black knew what his weakness was. Was he really so transparent?

Fine.

He would get Black to Dumbledore's office.

But not for his sake.

Not even for the boy's sake.

For the sake of the woman that he couldn't save…

"Alright," Severus muttered.

Black looked genuinely shocked.

Once again, Severus saw a ghost of a smile.

Black straightened up and cried, "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"It will be unwise to go now," Severus replied.

"Why not?"

Severus gave a start and cried, "Look at you. You're about ready to collapse!"

"Am I?"

Black glanced down at his body. He had grabbed onto the wall several minutes ago and was now leaning all of his weight onto it. His legs were now shaking—his whole body was.

He looked up and confusedly whispered, "I…I didn't even realize…"

"You've been running on adrenaline," Severus explained, "And it's about to run out."

Sure enough, Black's legs gave way.

He fell to the floor with an exhausted grunt.

"Perfect," Severus huffed.

This was just what he needed.

The woman he loved was dead.

The man who made his skin crawl with hatred was being wrongfully framed.

The man who made his skin crawl with hatred was asking for his help.

And even worse…

The man who made his skin crawl with hatred had just taken it upon himself to pass out in his den, meaning that if any Dementors happened to pass by, Severus would be accused of harboring a fugitive.

"Son of a bitch," Severus growled.

What the hell did he do to deserve this?

A small voice spoke in the back of his mind:

_You told Voldemort about the prophecy_.

He angrily urged the voice to shut up.

He then crouched down and checked Black's pulse.

Oh, good. He was still alive.

Severus had half a mind to leave him on the floor.

In the end, he heaved Black up onto the mangy couch.

He sniffed and angrily sighed.

As if this day couldn't possibly get any worse…

Now, his den smelled like wet dog.

Author's Note: I know how weird it must be to think about Sirius Black and Severus Snape working together. But with a few tweaks, they both actually have a lot in common. And in a strange way, they might understand each other better than anyone else. If you think about it, you have to know your enemy to beat him. Think of the amount of times that Sirius and Snape probably went at each other, whether they were dueling each other or simply trying to outwit each other. They had to know each other to know what the other one was going to do. So, if your enemy becomes your ally, you've actually got a pretty cool connection; especially if these two have so many parallels. Most people don't think that it's possible for these two to come together. But I still say that, in the right situation, Sirius and Snape could be even more in sync than Sirius and James were. If only because they know each other so well.

Anyway, I know that the books once mentioned that there's a graveyard at Azkaban but I thought that the coffin idea was creepier. Actually, I can see there being a graveyard for show and then the Dementors just dropping the coffins into the water.

Also, don't mind the Sherlock Holmes reference. ("Get that out of my face.") I've always wanted to use it with Snape and Sirius and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

_James was lying on the ground. Sirius didn't understand—couldn't understand. The house was in ruins, so why wasn't James panicking? He should be standing tall, wand in hand, shouting orders. Instead, he was lying on the floor. There wasn't a scratch on him. He looked quite peaceful._

_He could have been sleeping._

_But he wasn't._

_Sirius screamed his name._

"JAMES!"

"Unh."

_Lily…_

_She was lying in the middle of the nursery. Sirius could see the dried tears on her cheeks. She had died with a scream on her lips. But other than that…she looked so beautiful._

_She could have been sleeping._

_But she wasn't._

_Sirius fell to his knees, checking for a pulse, hoping for a miracle…_

"Lily, wake up!" Sirius sobbed, "Please, wake up!"

"Black?"

_James and Lily were dead._

_And suddenly, Sirius was standing on a cobblestone road, watching as his world exploded around him. Bits of flesh were flying everywhere. People were screaming and running, stepping in the puddles of blood._

Sirius let out an anguished scream.

"BLACK!"

His eyes flew open and he gave a wretched gasp.

"Easy, easy!"

He was covered in a cold sweat. Was this why he was violently shaking?

He was cold…so cold…

Perhaps he was back in Azkaban?

No.

Snape turned on an overhead light and Sirius realized that he was still in the den, lying on a tattered couch. Snape stepped forward, looking paler than usual.

For a moment, Snape looked as though he was going to ask something.

Instead, he quietly said, "So much for being discreet."

"Eh?" Sirius wearily asked.

"I reckon the whole neighborhood could hear you screaming bloody murder."

Sirius flushed and muttered, "Sorry."

He sat up and spoke in a much calmer voice, "I saw that photograph of you on the wall. Naturally, you can understand why I was so frightened."

Snape was not amused.

Honestly, Sirius wasn't either.

Nevertheless, he forced a smirk before asking, "What's that, then?"

Snape was holding a smoking vial.

"Calming Potion."

"Why do you have a Calming Potion?" Sirius asked, his mind still foggy from sleep.

"It's not for me," Snape impatiently said, "Drink it."

"Why?"

"I'm sorry," Snape sardonically said, "Are you enjoying your night terrors?"

Sirius avoided his eye.

Nevertheless, he still shot back, "How do I know that you didn't poison it?"

"Oh, yes," Snape cynically replied, "That's brilliant, Black. You're so weak that you collapsed in the middle of my house but I'm going to wait until you wake up to snuff you out. That's truly some Marauder logic."

"Shut up," Sirius snarled.

"I believe the proper words you're looking for are 'thank you'," Snape coldly said, handing him the vial.

Sirius downed the potion in one gulp and mumbled, "I don't suppose you have a blanket? I can't get warm."

"Of course you can't," Snape cried, "Look at what you're wearing."

Sirius suddenly realized that this was true. He was still in his jumpsuit from Azkaban, which was still damp from the swim. No wonder he was freezing. It was, after all, November.

"Do you have an extra set of robes?" Sirius asked.

Snape hesitated before summoning a pair.

Sirius stepped into the bathroom and changed. The robes were stained and tattered and reached Sirius' ankles. But anything was better than the Azkaban jumpsuit.

When he emerged, he realized that Snape had gone back to bed.

A blanket had been placed on the back of the couch.

Sirius threw it over his shoulders but didn't bother lying down.

He wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon.

oOo

"Who the hell taught you how to cook?"

Severus looked up and angrily retorted, "Who the hell taught you table manners?"

Still, he had to admit that the kippers that he prepared were less than ideal. He had overcooked them. He and Black were sitting at the rickety table in his dining room. Severus had gotten in a cheap shot by originally serving up Black's kippers in a dog dish.

Black's wry response had been, "Oily, slimy, and greasy. Fitting."

Once again, it had been a small moment of normalcy.

Now, Black flushed and set down the kipper that he was holding with his hand.

"I've barely eaten in a week," Black admitted, "I'm starving."

He used his fork to eat the rest of the meal and asked, "Got anything else?"

Truthfully, Severus didn't have much. Money had been exceedingly tight in the past couple of months. He retreated to his small kitchen and looked around. He eventually grabbed the loaf of bread, which he had gotten from a discounted baker. It was hard and there was already a bit of mold at the end. He sighed as he realized that Black was going to make some obnoxious joke about his wealth, or lack thereof.

Yet surprisingly, Black didn't say anything.

He cut himself a good-sized piece and ate it without complaining.

It was truly a miracle.

"So," Black finally said, "I'm thinking that we can Apparate into the Shrieking Shack and then we'll be able to follow the tunnel back to the Whomping Willow."

A tense silence filled the room as they both remembered why Severus knew that about the tunnel's existence.

Severus pushed the burning hatred aside and said, "Don't be ridiculous. We don't need to use any of the passageways. I sent a message to Dumbledore asking to meet him at noon."

"Yes," Black evenly said, "But how are we going to get there? We can't Apparate into the office and the Ministry monitors the Floo Network."

Severus blinked as he realized that Black made a good point.

He wondered aloud, "Can dogs survive using Floo Powder?"

"No idea," Black said, "And I'm not aiming to find out."

"Fine," Severus shortly said, "We'll Apparate into the shack and use the tunnel."

"It's a quarter to noon," Black pointed out, "Let's go."

They turned on the spot and both felt the horrible sensation of Apparating. They finally landed on the dusty floor of a room in the Shrieking Shack. Black twisted on the spot and when Severus blinked, he was staring at a large black dog.

He didn't say anything as they made their way through the tunnel. He was able to levitate the branches away and the two emerged onto the grounds. Fortunately, none of the students noticed that a twenty-one-year-old man and a dog had just climbed out of a secret tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow. Good God, was he that unobservant when he was that age?

He and Black swiftly made their way up to Dumbledore's office. Severus gave the gargoyle the password. As soon as they were inside, Black changed back.

"I haven't been here in years," Black softly said, looking around.

"You can reminisce later," Severus snapped.

And yet, Black's eyes continued to sweep every inch of the room.

"What're you doing?" Severus exasperatedly asked.

"Mind your surroundings," Black whispered.

Severus resisted rolling his eyes. Black had only been in Azkaban for a week and he was already acting paranoid.

"Listen," Black quietly said, "If he…"

The door on the balcony opened and Black briskly whispered, "Pumpkinhead."

"What?" Severus cried.

"Third year," Black hissed, "Remember."

It wasn't a question but an order.

Before Severus could ask, Dumbledore entered the room.

The Headmaster glanced at Black and his eyebrows rose.

He descended the staircase and asked, "Severus, my boy, what's this?"

"Have you received my letter regarding Black's innocence?" Severus asked.

Dumbledore sat behind his desk but did not invite them to sit.

He folded his hands before softly saying, "Indeed, I did."

"Brilliant," Black cried, "Will you help us?"

Severus quickly glanced at him and Black mumbled, "Err…me?"

"Help you with what?" Dumbledore asked.

"You're on the Wizengamot," Black explained, "You can help clear my name. And then I can get Harry out of Petunia's clutches."

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Sirius."

Severus blinked, genuinely shocked by the Headmaster's words. He glanced at Black and saw that he looked just as surprised.

"What isn't possible, sir?" Severus finally asked.

"Harry needs to stay with his aunt and uncle," Dumbledore calmly said, "I believe that this is what's best for him."

"Well, you're wrong!" Black cried, "They hate magic. They…"

"Harry will be safe there," Dumbledore interjected, "And that's what's important."

"Safe from what?" Black confusedly asked, "He already defeated Voldemort."

"I believe that he will return," Dumbledore calmly replied.

Severus felt a chill go down his spine.

"And when he does," Dumbledore continued, "Harry will have to fight him again. But in the meantime, he will be safe at the home of his aunt and uncle. I know that it's hard, Sirius, but this is really what's best."

"Codswallop," Black barked, "Even if Voldemort does come back…and I honestly don't see how he could…why does my godson have to be the one to fight him again?"

Dumbledore removed his glasses before quietly saying, "Sit down."

Severus and Black glanced at each other and remained standing.

"Very well," Dumbledore sighed, "But it's a long story…"

And so, he told the men everything that they had never wanted to know about horcruxes and how Voldemort had made several of them—how Harry himself was now one of them—and how, when he got older, he would have to die in order for the horcrux to be removed. Even worse, Voldemort had to be the one to kill him. Only then would Voldemort be truly defeated.

"Albus," Severus whispered, "Surely, you cannot be serious."

He took a curt breath and added, "Black, if you make one pun—"

But Black, it seemed, was just as horrified as he was.

Perhaps even more so.

Black stepped forward and croaked, "You wish to use my godson…as bait?"

"You're going to raise him to be a lamb for slaughter!" Severus burst out.

He didn't know why he felt so angry. Why should he care about the little brat?

"No," Black softly said, "A lamb is innocent. He's going to raise him to be a pig for slaughter. He'll fatten him up…get him good and ready…and then…"

Black's fists clenched and Severus honestly couldn't blame him.

"I don't expect you to understand," Dumbledore solemnly said, "But I do expect you to stand aside and let fate unfold."

"No."

Severus was slightly impressed by just how cold Black's tone was.

He then realized that Dumbledore was staring at him, waiting for an answer.

As was Black.

"I'm sorry, Albus," Severus quietly said.

Last night, he had seen a flicker of gratitude on Black's face. Now, his face was shining with gratitude and he wasn't bothering to hide it.

"I'm sorry, too," Dumbledore sighed.

"Pumpkinhead," Black hissed.

And then, Severus remembered.

In the spring of their third year, he and Potter had gotten into a fierce duel in the first floor corridor. There had been a mirror on the wall. Potter had shouted the Melofors curse. Severus had leapt to the side and the spell had rebounded. Potter had gone around the rest of the day with a pumpkin for a head, earning himself a temporary nickname.

Pumpkinhead.

Mind your surroundings.

Pumpkinhead.

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore coolly repeated, "It pains me to do this."

He flicked his wand.

Severus leapt to the right and Black leapt to the left. They both landed on the floor and did a somersault. Severus jumped right back to his feet as Black sprang into a low crouch.

The curse rebounded off of the mirror that had been behind them. It shot straight back towards the startled Headmaster. He managed to quickly cry, "Protego!"

A silver shield leapt up in front of him. The force of the curse still sent him flying through the air. The back of his head hit the wall with a nasty crunch.

Severus realized that he was breathing rather heavily. He took out his wand for good measure. He should have taken it out anyway. He briefly wondered why Black hadn't taken out his before remembering that his wand would have been snapped when he was taken to Azkaban.

Still, Black had been clever enough to notice his surroundings, as well as create a clever code-name. Almost as if he knew that something was going to happen.

Black slowly stood up and muttered, "'Bit more dramatic than a pumpkin."

"'Bit," Severus hollowly repeated.

"Snape," Black whispered, his face a mixture of emotions, "The color of the spell…"

"I'm aware," Severus snapped.

The spell had been green.

Ordinarily, a shield charm wouldn't stop a full-fledged killing curse. However, Severus reckoned that the rebound from the mirror had weakened the spell enough. That was good. He had no intention of committing murder.

"Alright," Severus said, trying to keep his voice even, "We just need to…"

Without warning, Black kicked the leg of a table. It collapsed and the silver instruments came crashing down.

"Black, take it easy!" Severus sharply cried.

Black did nothing of the sort and instead stomped on one of the instruments.

For a moment, he looked just like his wanted posters.

Severus grabbed him and shoved him against the wall, restraining him from doing any more damage.

"Are you mental?" Severus hissed.

"Am I mental?" Black exclaimed, "This whole situation is mental!"

Severus couldn't hold back his surprise as he saw a rarity—Black's eyes were brimmed with tears. Severus slowly backed away.

"A few days ago," Black croaked, "James and Lily were alive, Remus and Peter were my friends, I trusted Dumbledore, and I would have laughed at the thought of working with you."

He let out a laugh at the moment, though it sounded more like a sob.

And though he hated to admit it, Severus' heart briefly went out to him. He hated himself for it—this was _Black _after all—but Black looked so devastated…

"What's going on here?"

Black swore as the door to the office burst open. Horace Slughorn entered, having heard the loud crashes. For a moment, the professor merely was quite still as he took in the scene.

Severus and Black were still as well, carefully calculating the situation.

Slughorn would never believe their story. They needed to get past him.

The Head of Slytherin got over his shock and took out his wand. Severus lifted his own, resulting in a tense stand-off.

"S…Severus," Slughorn stammered, "Be reasonable, now."

All of a sudden, Sirius let out a tremendous scream.

Slughorn cried out in shock and stumbled backwards, giving Snape his opportunity.

He whirled his wand and roared, "STUPEFY!"

The spell hit Slughorn in the stomach and sent him tumbling down the spiral staircase, dazed but mostly uninjured.

"Nice scare," Severus snorted.

Black smirked before frowning as several students screamed below.

"GO!" Black roared.

They raced down the stairs and leapt over Slughorn's body.

As he did so, Severus smoothly cried, "Accio!"

Slughorn's wand flew into his hand and he tossed it to Black.

They had managed to get halfway down the corridor before Slughorn grabbed a student's wand and cried, "Piertotum Locomotor!"

"Oh boy," Black grunted.

The suits of armor abruptly sprang to life and jumped into their path.

Severus screeched to a halt and Black grabbed his sleeve, dragging him to a seemingly normal tapestry. He whisked it aside to reveal a small door. The two entered and Severus closed it, just as a suit threw his flail. It hit the wood and Severus' eyes widened at the close call.

He glanced at Black, who's returned the shocked glance.

He turned and saw that they on the top of a tight spiral staircase.

The two started down and Severus whispered, "Where are we heading?"

"This leads to the first floor," Black explained.

"And after that?" Severus asked, "We can't go back to my house. They know that I'm working with you."

"First we need to get out of here," Black pointed out.

"How?" Severus cried, "I suppose we can get to the forest. It's not covered by the Apparating boundaries."

"Neither is the lake," Black agreed.

They finally made it to another door. They opened it, pushed the tapestry aside, and stumbled out into the first floor corridor.

Unfortunately, there was a line of statues at either end.

Severus swore as both lines advanced forward.

"We're going to have to fight," Black whispered.

The two turned so that they were back-to-back.

"Are you ready?"

"No."

But both lifted their wands anyway and belted out a series of hexes. The stone statues exploded and toppled backwards. They turned in a circle, all while keeping their backs to each other. They finally spotted an opening and raced on. The statues continued to chase them and throw weapons. A few were even able to perform spells. Severus continued to run with Black at his heels. They ducked, weaved, hexed, and jumped.

They practically flew down the Grand Staircase and then down the marble staircase that led into the Entrance Hall. They threw open the oak doors and ran as fast as they could.

Unfortunately, someone roared, "STOP!"

They turned and saw that several Aurors had appeared. They must have had been contacted by one of the professors. Severus didn't recognize any of them and, from a quick look at Black's face, could tell that he didn't either.

The two slowly lifted their hands into the air, all while slowly backing away. They didn't get very far. They had backed themselves right up against the edge of one of the cliffs.

One of the Aurors lifted his wand and growled, "You've got nowhere to go."

"Now, that's just not true," Black spoke up.

"We can always go down," Severus agreed.

Thus, he and Black tipped backwards and fell off of the cliff, landing in the icy lake.

They both swam downwards before grabbing onto each other's arms.

Black twisted on the spot and they Apparated away from their school.

Author's Note: So, yes, it's a Manipulative-Dumbledore story.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I'm sorry about the short delay. I finally had to get a new laptop. I was also trapped in my dormitory for several days due to a huge snow storm.

Chapter Three

Sirius glanced around the cozy living room and smiled as he thought of the moments that had occurred here. The smile faded as he realized that those moments were long gone. It was evident that nobody had set foot in the room in years.

He scrambled to his feet and Snape did the same.

"Where are we?" Snape asked, looking around.

"Mr. and Mrs. Potter's house," Sirius explained.

Snape frowned before saying, "Hang on…I thought that it was destroyed?"

Sirius bewilderedly glanced at him before realizing the mistake.

He shook his head and cried, "No…not James and Lily. James' parents."

"Oh."

Snape glanced around again and muttered, "Cozy."

"Yeah," Sirius replied, "It really was…"

His heart sank. Mr. and Mrs. Potter had passed away several years ago. He supposed that James was with them now. All of a sudden, his chest felt tight. It was the same feeling that he had in Dumbledore's office. Yet, he had been angry then. Now, he was just sad.

"Black?"

"We can stay here," Sirius numbly said, "I'm going to…"

He walked away without another word. He could feel Snape staring at him but he really didn't care. He needed to do something that was long overdue.

He knowingly made his way through the house and finally reached his bedroom. Up until a few years ago, it had simply been a spare bedroom. And then, it had become his.

The family had become his.

Sirius calmly entered the room, closed the door, and broke down.

His legs fell out from beneath him and he clumsily collapsed. His entire body shook with sobs as he thought about everything that had happened in the last week.

His whole world had been turned upside down.

Topsy turvy.

That's what Mr. Potter would have called it.

God, it wasn't fair.

He briefly wondered if Snape could hear his cries but decided that he didn't care. They had been long overdue. He hadn't had time to grieve for Lily and James. The grief, the rage, the helplessness…it had been building up for a week. And now, it felt like he was going to explode.

He practically screamed in agony.

They had been so happy.

He could picture the James and Lily's wedding day as if it was yesterday.

The jokes, the laughing, the heartfelt crying…

And then, several months later, James had Apparated into Sirius' bedroom in the middle of the night, a silly grin on his face, as he practically shouted that Lily was pregnant.

And the way that James and Lily looked at Harry…

The way Sirius had almost fainted when asked if he would be godfather…

The way he rocked Harry to bed and his godson would grab onto his hair…

Harry's first Christmas…

Harry's first birthday…

Sirius had gotten him his first toy broom…

Sirius loved him so much…

And so did James and Lily…

Enough to sacrifice their lives…

He knew that they had to do it.

But that didn't make it any less painful.

He missed them.

He missed them so much…

oOo

Severus had absolutely no idea what to do.

He could hear Black's sorrowful weeping.

And about bloody time, too.

He knew that Black had been holding it in for a while.

Severus had half a mind to check on him.

Then again, did you comfort the man who had spent seven years tormenting you?

In the end, Severus awkwardly remained standing in the cozy living room.

He finally wandered into the kitchen. He pulled a few cupboards open and was surprised to see that they were fully stocked with non-perishable items.

And here he thought that the house was abandoned.

"James and Lily were originally going to stay here."

Severus nearly leapt out of his skin.

Black had come downstairs. His eyes were red and puffy.

Still, he was calm as he continued, "But then Dumbledore wanted them to stay at Godric's Hollow so that he could 'keep an eye on them'."

Severus nodded and slowly said, "Are you…?"

He broke off before lamely finishing, "…hungry?"

Black nodded and mumbled, "I could eat."

There was an awkward pause and Black added, "So long as you're not cooking."

Severus rolled his eyes but stepped aside.

Black prepared a large pot of stew.

He flicked his wand and it flew out into the dining room. Severus grabbed two bowls and they followed their dinner. They sat on either end of the table and silently ate.

Severus had to admit that the stew was actually somewhat decent.

He took several bites before muttering, "So, what do we do now?"

"We need to get to Harry," Black firmly said.

Severus stared at him.

Did Black honestly not comprehend anything that had happened to them? Dumbledore wasn't going to let him take the boy.

Unless…

"You're not seriously aiming to kidnap him?" Severus softly asked.

"What're they going to do?" Black haughtily replied, "Throw me in Azkaban?"

Severus rolled his eyes and Black added, "Besides, I have a plan."

"Well, that's a first," Severus remarked, "What is it?"

"Switzerland."

It took a moment for Severus to truly understand what Black was saying.

When he did, his mouth curved into a smirk.

As much as he hated to admit it, that was brilliant.

The Switzerland Ministry for Magic had declared neutrality. Many wizards and witches considered the country a safe haven. Muggles fled there to avoid being killed. Purebloods fled there to avoid being enlisted into the Death Eaters. And if Black were to flee there, the British Ministry would have no jurisdiction. He would be safe. He would be free.

"James' parents had a summer home on Lake Geneva," Black explained.

"Of course they did," Severus muttered.

He took a deep breath before saying, "You do realize that the country put up Anti-Apparating spells? To get in, you have to physically cross the border."

"So, I'll Apparate to the French side and rent a boat," Black calmly said.

Severus rolled his eyes and muttered, "Brilliant."

They ate in silence for a moment.

Severus broke the silence by asking a question that had been on his mind for hours:

"Why didn't you go to Lupin?"

Black slowly lowered his fork and muttered, "The full moon was last night."

"And you couldn't have waited?" Severus asked.

"No."

Severus blinked.

There was more to it.

"Look," Black sighed, "I didn't want him to get caught up in this mess. He already has a bad enough reputation as it is."

Severus felt a flash of anger.

He tightly clenched his fork as he snapped, "And you didn't mind dragging me into this?"

"No."

As angry as he was, Severus knew that there was still more to it.

He carefully surveyed Black, who was looking away from him.

"You don't think that he'll believe you," Severus softly said.

Black shot him a glare and muttered, "Using your Occlumency. That's a cheap shot."

"I didn't," Severus retorted, "It's written all over your face."

They finished their dinner in silence, though neither one was very hungry. With nothing else to do, they retreated to the living room where they sat on opposite sides of the couch, not saying a word to each other.

Black eventually sighed and mumbled, "I could have handled you not believing me. But I…I couldn't have handled it if Remus hadn't…I mean…I…I already lost three friends…"

He shivered and abruptly stood up. Severus jumped but Black merely crossed over to the fireplace and attempted to get a fire started.

Severus knew that Black blamed himself.

To be fair, changing Secret Keepers was a stupid move.

'_Just like telling Voldemort about the prophecy,'_ Severus bitterly thought.

His chest felt tight. He had tried to tell Dumbledore about his guilt during his initial meeting with him several days ago. Dumbledore had quickly changed the subject to Harry.

But he needed to get the weight off of his chest…

Black gave a triumphant hiss as he finally succeeded in creating a small flame.

"There's something that you should know," Severus blurted out, leaping to his feet.

Black lifted his head and slowly said, "Alright?"

Severus silently cursed himself for speaking. Black was watching him, waiting for him to say more, but Severus couldn't think of the words.

At long last, he quietly said, "You've heard about the prophecy?"

"Of course I have," Black snorted.

Yes, of course he would have. He had been their Secret Keeper, after all. Not to mention the boy's godfather. Black probably had the prophecy memorized.

"I…"

Severus blanched.

He glanced at the fireplace. There was barely a fire.

So, why did the room feel so warm?

Black rose to his feet and softly asked, "What about it?"

"I was the one who informed the Dark Lord."

Severus was stunned by the calmness of his own words.

He braced himself.

Black stared at him, quite emotionless.

Then:

"Yeah, I know."

Without another word, Black turned around and resumed working on the fire.

"You…know?" Severus spluttered.

"Of course I know," Black murmured, nudging the log with the poker, "Dumbledore told us everything."

"He…he _**what**_?"

Severus felt a surge of anger. How _**dare**_ he!

And did that mean…?

"Lily," Severus softly said, "She knew that I was the one who…who…"

"Yeah."

The flame was now roaring but Severus had gone cold.

Black looked up. Something shone in his eyes.

When he spoke, he was surprisingly gentle, "But she also knew about your deal with Dumbledore. James and I were stunned. To be honest, I still kind of am."

Severus didn't give a damn about him or Potter.

He struggled to keep his voice even as he asked, "She knew that I repented?"

Black hesitated before saying, "She knew that you were trying to make things right."

The two stood in silence for a moment.

Severus' guilt had been lessened but there was still a tight knot in his stomach.

For there was something else bothering him.

It had been eating away at him for the past week.

"I killed her," Severus softly said, "I killed them."

Black's face was unreadable.

Yet, his voice was heavy with emotion as he whispered, "Yeah…so did I."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I am so sorry for the unexpected hiatus! The end of the semester was extremely busy. Then, there were finals and the holiday and I had a surgery. I haven't had a free moment in a month! Fortunately, it's still technically 2014 (the ball drops in just a few minutes) so at least I updated before the new year!

Chapter Four

"THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!"

Sirius groaned as he stirred awake.

He could hear crashing and banging from down below.

He sighed and reluctantly went downstairs.

Snape was as red as a Quaffle. He was stomping around the living room, angrily muttering to himself. He grabbed a candle from the mantelpiece and threw it.

"Easy, easy!" Sirius roared, "That was Mrs. Potter's favorite candle!"

Snape shot him a glare and Sirius returned it.

"Sorry," Snape finally muttered.

Sirius didn't accept his apology.

Instead, he shortly said, "What's wrong?"

"Look at this," Snape growled.

He handed Sirius a copy of the Daily Prophet.

Sirius winced as he read the headline:

DEATH EATER'S DISGUISE DIMINISHES

He read the first sentence and his suspicions were confirmed.

Apparently Dumbledore had taken it upon himself to tell the Ministry that Snape hadn't repented and that he had been a Death Eater all along. The article went on to talk about how Snape was now working with his Death Eater accomplice, Sirius Black.

For some reason, Sirius found himself snickering.

"What part of this is funny?" Snape seethed.

"Nothing," Sirius thoughtfully said, "It's just…well…I never thought that we'd have so much in common."

"Excuse me?"

"We both wanted to protect the Potters," Sirius explained, "Though, of course, my reason to do so was much nobler."

Snape glared at him and Sirius smirked before continuing, "We both failed to protect them and we both blame ourselves. The media both thinks that we're Death Eaters. But in reality, we're both just trying to protect Harry."

Snape stared at him for a moment before growling, "Petty parallels at most. We are still as opposite as day and night."

Sirius didn't press the matter. It wasn't as though he _enjoyed _comparing himself to Snape. On the contrary, he felt a horrible taste in his mouth at the mere thought.

"Then again," Snape quietly continued, "We do have a common enemy."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and said, "And the enemy of my enemy…"

"…is a reluctant ally."

"Extremely reluctant," Sirius agreed.

Snape nodded and whisked the Daily Prophet away.

"Look at this," Snape growled, "We're public enemies…lethal force authorized…"

He continued to mutter to himself.

Sirius slipped into the kitchen and boiled several eggs. The eggs themselves had been in a magical refrigerator and were still fresh. He took the eggs into the living room and gave two to Snape. Snape took a bite before gagging.

Sirius cracked up; he hadn't peeled the shell.

Snape glared at him and hissed, "Of all the bloody defence mechanisms to have…you have to go and act like a child."

"At least I don't throw candles," Sirius retorted.

"Would it kill you to take something seriously for once?" Snape snapped.

"Would it kill you to lighten up?" Sirius shot back, "My God, it's no wonder that you're so bitter. I don't think that you even know how to laugh."

"Nothing about this situation is worth a laugh," Snape retorted, "Now, then…I've been thinking…"

"A very dangerous process," Sirius interjected.

"…and I think that we need to contact somebody from the Ministry," Snape finished.

"You saw the newspaper," Sirius exclaimed, "They'll kill us!"

"It's still our best shot," Snape argued, "If we can just convince…_someone_…"

He buried his face in his hands and added, "Do you know anyone who would care about Harry enough to not kill us on the spot?"

Sirius thought about it for a moment before smirking.

A few moments later, the two Apparated onto a dirt road. Dust rose into the air and Snape scowled, wiping it from his robes. The two quickly ducked behind a bush as several children ran by. Their red hair was vibrant in the sunlight. Sirius desperately tried to remember which one was which. It wasn't easy. First a boy, then another boy, then a third, and then twins, and then a boy who had been born just a few months before Harry. Robert? Ronald? Molly had brought the children to the Potters several times. Likewise, James and Lily had taken Harry to the Burrow several times. Arthur and Molly loved doting on Harry.

"I think Arthur's in the shed," Sirius whispered.

"No sense in us both risking our necks," Snape quietly pointed out.

"Agreed," Sirius retorted, "After you."

Snape raised a fist.

Sirius gave a start before realizing what he was doing.

He raised his own and shook it three times.

He threw rock.

Snape threw paper.

He scowled.

Snape smirked.

"Look," Sirius shortly said, "We'll both go."

"I thought we agreed—"

"We'll be able to back each other up," Sirius explained.

Snape gave a start before whispering, "You want me to have your back?"

Sirius merely stared at him.

"Alright," Snape softly said, "I'm right behind you."

The two took deep breaths and walked over to the shed.

Arthur Weasley was bent over something.

Sirius' eyes widened and he whispered, "That's my motorbike."

Snape gave him a quizzical look.

"How to turn it on?" Arthur was excitedly mumbling, "How to turn it on…?"

"Allumer," Sirius loudly said.

Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin.

Sure enough, the motorbike revved to life.

"Éteindre," Sirius cried.

The motorbike turned off.

"Wh…what…?" Arthur gasped, "What are you…?"

"Don't kill us," Snape quickly said.

"We're innocent," Sirius added.

Arthur withdrew his wand and Snape withdrew his own.

"Arthur," Sirius slowly said, "Listen to me…I would never…_never_…hurt James, Lily, or Harry. You know me. You've known me for years. I'm their friend. I…I was their friend."

"And I am not a Death Eater," Snape added.

"Prove it," Arthur croaked, "Prove that you two are who you say you are."

Sirius gave a start and said, "You want us to prove that we're wanted criminals?"

"'Can never be sure these days," Arthur muttered.

"Alright," Sirius fairly said, "Ask me something."

Arthur hesitated before asking, "What Muggle lyric did you and the Marauders always say when you were in the Order?"

"'Keep on fighting to the end,'" Sirius quietly said, "From Queen's 'We Are The Champions'."

"Really?" Snape skeptically said.

"Oh, shut up," Sirius growled.

"You shut up," Snape retorted.

"I asked you first."

"Yeah," Arthur muttered, "You're definitely Sirius and Severus."

oOo

Severus honestly couldn't believe their luck.

He and Black had somehow managed to convince Arthur of their innocence.

The three men were now standing in the cramped kitchen.

Arthur had prepared himself a cup of tea.

Severus had to admit that he had just heard a pretty mad story.

"It's lucky that Molly took Ginny to see her Healer," Arthur admitted, his voice still sounding a bit weak, "If _she _had seen you…"

Black shuddered at the thought.

"Why come here?" Arthur asked, "Why…why us?"

"You work at the Ministry," Black pointed out, "You can help us get a trial."

"I work in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office!" Arthur cried, "I don't have that kind of power!"

Severus swore under his breath.

Well, it had been worth a shot.

"Dad!"

One of the children raced into the kitchen. He used one hand to adjust his glasses. He was holding something in the other hand; something that appeared to be squirming around.

Snape flinched. He would never understand children.

"What is it, Percy?" Arthur asked.

"Can we have dinner?" Percy eagerly asked.

"Yes, in a minute," Arthur agreed, "Just as soon as we're done."

Percy nodded.

"Say, Percy," Black abruptly spoke up, "Can I see that rat?"

Severus' head flew up so quickly that his neck ached. He glanced at the thing in the child's hand. Sure enough, it was a fat, grey, rat.

"You don't think…" Severus croaked.

"The paw," Black whispered, "Look…"

Severus looked.

The rat was missing a finger.

It had begun to anxiously squirm around.

The child—Percy—suddenly cried out as the rat sunk its teeth into his finger.

"Scabbers!" Percy cried, "What're you—?"

The rat bit him again and Percy dropped him.

Snape's wand was out in a flash.

He whipped it through the air and roared, "STUPEFY!"

Percy screamed as the spell narrowly missed the rat.

"PERCY!" Arthur shrieked.

He grabbed his son and pulled him into the next room.

Black actually dove onto the ground in a meager attempt to grab the scampering rat.

Severus kept hexing, all while trying to avoid Black.

The rat scampered towards the back door and Severus quickly followed.

He leapt towards the door.

But he miscalculated his landing.

"NO!" Black roared.

There was a sickening crunch as the heel of his boot landed on the animal.

Black's scream pierced the air.

Severus stumbled backwards.

"What have you done?" Black whispered.

"I…I…" Snape stammered, "I'm sorry."

"We won't be able to change him back," Black breathed, "That's it…we're done."

He yelped as a flash of green light narrowly missed him.

Several Aurors were standing in the doorway.

"Not yet, we're not!" Severus roared.

He grabbed Black's sleeve and the two began to run.

The spells exploded around them.

"In here," Black shrieked.

He pulled Severus into the shed and roared, "ALLUMER!"

The motorbike revved to life.

Black climbed on and Severus climbed up after him.

He tightly held onto the seat and Black screamed, "VOLER!"

The bike rose into the air and started forward.

They ducked to avoid scraping their heads on the shed doorway.

The bike shot into the air.

By a sheer miracle, the Auror's spells ended up missing them.

Unfortunately, that seemed to be their only lucky break.

They had only flown about twenty miles before Black said, "Hmm…that's unfortunate."

"What is?" Severus cried.

"We're out of gas." Black calmly said.

Severus nodded and muttered, "Yeah…that's…unfortunate."

Sure enough, the motorbike was beginning to lose altitude.

"We need to jump and Apparate!" Black exclaimed.

"Are you mad!?"

"It's the only way!"

Severus glanced at the jagged rocks below.

He sighed and leapt from the bike.

Black leapt after him.

Severus turned on the spot and landed on the hard kitchen floor.

"SNAPE?" Black called.

"In here!"

Black emerged from the living room and muttered, "So much for my motorbike…"

"So much for our freedom," Severus added.

Black nodded and muttered, "So much for Peter…"

"He died as a rat," Severus pointed out, "Fitting."

Black nodded, looking troubled.

"I'm sorry," Severus softly said.

It was a moment before Black spoke.

When he did, he whispered:

"I'm not."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: With just a few minutes left until the ball drops…Happy New Year 2015!

Chapter Five

For the first time in years, the Potters' house was filled with delicious smells. Sirius brought the stack of pancakes into the dining room, placing it next to the pile of sausage links.

Snape came in and Sirius muttered, "Good morning."

"What's so 'good' about it?" Snape shot back.

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

"Nobody's going to believe us," Snape pointed out, "Arthur gave us up…"

"To be fair," Sirius interjected, "You did start jinxing at his son."

"The point," Snape seethed, "Is that there's no way to redeem ourselves."

"Legally, no," Sirius admitted, "Morally…we still can."

He knew that Snape wanted redemption just as much as he did.

Snape wanted to make it up to Lily.

To right the wrong.

"I'm going to Privet Drive," Sirius abruptly said.

Snape's head snapped up and he cried, "Black!"

"It'll be okay," Sirius interjected, "I'll go as Padfoot."

Snape continued to stare at him.

"I just…want to make sure that he's alright," Sirius explained.

Snape sighed and hissed, "Of all the bad ideas that you've had…"

"It'll be fine," Sirius assuredly said, "Really."

Snape rolled his eyes and snapped, "Don't do anything rash."

"I won't."

"I mean it!"

"I won't."

"Whatever happens…don't overreact."

"I won't!"

oOo

Black was lying on the couch, sound asleep.

An infant was lying on top of chest. And suddenly, Severus knew what James Potter looked like as a baby. Yet there was one distinguishing feature…the baby had a scar on his forehead. It rather resembled a lightning-bolt. How curious.

Black had his arms protectively wrapped around the sleeping child.

Both were snoring in unison.

It would have been quite a touching sight.

Unfortunately, Severus was short on breath and short on patience.

He sharply shook Black's shoulder.

Black jerked awake and repressed a gasp.

He carefully sat up and placed Harry onto the cushion.

He then stood up and apologetically muttered, "I overreacted."

"Obviously," Severus hissed back, "You kidnapped a bloody child!"

"My godson."

"Do you think they'll care?"

Black gave him a sharp look.

Severus flushed. His voice had risen. Fortunately, Harry continued to snore.

"They won't care," Severus whispered, "They think that you're a murderer. An escaped murderer. An escaped murderer who's now a kidnapper! What the hell were you thinking?"

"Petunia shook him," Black hollowly explained, "He was crying and she just…"

He buried his face in his hands and added, "I couldn't stand it."

That horrible, revolting, woman!

Clearly, Severus had been right about her all along.

"Alright," Severus whispered, "Alright…this is…doable."

He began to pace and muttered, "We just…we just need a plan…"

He looked up and his heart plummeted even further.

"What?" Black hissed, "What is it?"

Severus didn't answer.

The curtain on the one window wasn't completely drawn.

And an Auror was staring right at him.

oOo

Sirius grabbed Harry and crouched down.

Snape knelt next to them.

"Did he see us?" Sirius whispered.

"He saw me," Snape replied, "The back of the couch hid you and the boy."

"Let's Apparate away," Sirius suggested.

"We can't," Snape shot back, "You can't Apparate with a baby!"

At that moment, the front door burst open.

Sirius dove around the corner, tightly hugging Harry to his chest.

Unfortunately, Snape wasn't quick enough.

Two Aurors entered the room and cried, "Locomotor Mortis!"

Snape groaned and Sirius knew that his legs had been locked together.

Sirius carefully peered around the corner.

Snape could see him.

The Aurors couldn't.

The Auror lifted his wand and snapped, "Where's Black?"

Sirius ducked back into the corridor.

Snape remained silent.

The other Auror raised his wand as well and roared, "TELL US!"

Sirius waited, hugging his sleeping godson.

The seconds crept by, each one more tense than the last.

Finally, Snape softly said, "No idea."

"Crucio!"

Sirius clamped a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming.

"He ain't talking."

"Hit him again."

"Crucio!"

Snape's scream echoed throughout the entire house.

Harry stirred.

Snape's wand rolled towards the doorway.

"Maybe you should give him a taste of his own medicine."

Sirius' heart hit the ground as he heard callous snickers.

"Sectumsempera!"

The loudest scream of all and the sound of a body hitting the ground.

In the blink of an eye, Sirius raced forward and grabbed the wand.

The two Aurors turned and gasped.

"Sirius Bl—!"

Sirius whipped Snape's wand through the air and roared, "STUPEFY! STUPEFY!"

The bursts of light hit the Aurors in their chests.

They fell to the ground in a slump.

At that moment, Harry's eyes flew open and he began to cry.

"Ssshh," Sirius whispered, "Ssssh…it's okay. It's alright, Jude."

He set Harry in the chair and hurried over to Snape.

Snape was lying on his side, propped up by his elbow. A deep gash etched from his chest to his stomach. A pool of blood was already forming. His face was rapidly losing color.

"Severus," Sirius croaked.

Snape's eyes widened.

Then, he amusedly whispered, "Did…did you just call him Jude?"

"It's his nickname," Sirius retorted.

Snape lifted an eyebrow and Sirius added, "Shut up!"

Snape abruptly grunted and his head hit the floor.

"Severus!" Snape roared, "Oi! Stay with me!"

He fell to his knees and cupped Snape's face.

His head fell limp.

"HEY!" Sirius roared, "I'm not going to be responsible for another death, you bastard!"

But Snape didn't answer.

The only sound that filled the house were Harry's mournful cries.

oOo

Severus was going to be sick.

He immediately recognized the aftertaste of Wiggenweld Potion.

It was a horrid taste.

He groaned and opened his eyes.

He was lying in the bed in the spare room.

The blankets were sticking to his chest and stomach.

He realized that somebody had applied dittany to his wounds.

They were now nothing more than light scars.

And there was a cup of water on the bedside table.

Snape swallowed it all in a single gulp.

"Here."

A chocolate frog box hit him in the cheek.

"Eat it," Black commanded from the doorway, "It'll help."

Snape sat up and groaned, "Blimey…that's smarts."

"Yeah," Black snorted, "Now you know how we always felt."

Snape rolled his eyes.

"I believe that you owe me some gratitude," Black continued, "I did save your life."

"I believe _you_ owe me some gratitude," Severus retorted, "I saved yours."

"Yeah, you did," Black admitted, "Why didn't you give me away?"

"You had an infant in your arms!" Severus pointed out, "Where is the boy?"

"Sleeping again," Black explained.

"And the Aurors?"

"Well…that's the thing," Black admitted, "They're still in the living room. I keep hexing them every time they wake."

"How did they know that we were here?" Severus demanded.

"Dumbledore knew that I made this a safe house," Black sighed, "He must have tipped them off."

"So," Severus summarized, "More are on their way."

"I'm surprised that they haven't already arrived," Black admitted, "You've been out for a couple of hours. We should get a move on."

"We can't Apparate anywhere with the boy," Severus pointed out.

"Then we'll go on foot," Black replied, "We can take a boat across the channel and into France. And then we can walk to Geneva."

"Which is on the other side of the country," Severus cried, "It'll take us over a week to get there."

"Then," Black calmly said, "We'd better get a move on."

He stepped aside to reveal that he had already packed two rucksacks.

He threw Snape one and Snape put it on his back.

"Can you stand?" Black gently asked.

"Yes."

Severus stood up and groaned, "No!"

His leg crumpled and Black caught him.

Severus put an arm around his shoulders and Black supported him.

The two limped downstairs and Black collected Harry with his other arm.

"Ready?" Black asked.

"As I'll ever be," Severus replied.

"One foot in front of the other," Black advised.

And so, the two marched on.


End file.
